Invictus
by Bentobox98
Summary: The Rule was broken. Light rose, and Dark to meet it... though not to destroy.
1. Contritum

This is my first fanfic in a while, so I'm hoping y'all will enjoy it! Star Wars is owned by Lucasfilm, and The Walt Disney corporation, please support the official release.

...

The smell of ozone filled the air. Where was he? Flashes of blue and red light whizzed past him. That's right, the battlefield. He was leading a push against the separatist lines. The 501st were at his back and at his sides. Along with…

Ahsoka.

Where was she? What happened? As he pondered and wracked his brain for answers, dread washed over him in a tidal wave of realization.

The separatists had seen them before they could rush the flank. They had minimal cover. It was too easy for the spider droids.

Where was Ahsoka?

As the ringing in his ears began to fade, he heard a muffled voice.

"-al! GENERAL! WE NEED TO PULL BACK!"

He looked to the voice. His helmet was gone. The blue paint of his armor was scorched and the polymer was cracked. His face was bloodied.

"Rex?"

He looked to the figures near Rex. One was kneeling over the other. A medic… Kix. The one on the ground being treated…

"Ahsoka!"

Stumbling as he ran, he slid to the side of his Padawan. How had he not heard her screaming? He looked over her, searching for any way he could help. Her right arm was badly burned and her leg was twisted in an unnatural form. He looked up at Kix.

"We need to get her out of here. It'll hurt, but we have to move her."

Nodding, he steeled himself and hooked his arms under her legs and arms, his heart breaking when she tried to hold back her screams of agony. His eyes widened as he saw the shallow greyish purple pool she had laid in, and followed the drips in the dirt until they disappeared under her form again. She felt so small and cold.

Holding her in his arms, he stood, with Rex giving covering fire, and Kix doing what he can to stabilize the girl.

"INCOMING!"

Time seemed to slow, as Anakin looked to the sky, seeing the red inferno of an artillery shell flying to their position.

There was no time to move. Nowhere to go. No cover.

He was going to die. Himself, Rex, Kix, countless other clones… and Ahsoka.

He was failing to protect her. Failing to protect his daughter in all but blood.

Just like his mother, she would die in agony, in his arms, all because he wasn't strong enough.

In that moment, his fear, his anguish, his sorrow, and his rage flooded his mind.

In that moment he did all he could do with this precious girl in his arms.

In that moment he screamed and knew darkness.

...

Cool stone soothed his aching muscles. Not since his training on Kamino had Captain Rex felt so utterly defeated and sore.

Kix had woken up not long before him, and the information they had gathered in that time was disheartening to say the least.

Their weapons were gone. Their armor was gone. General Skywalker and Commander Tano were gone. They had no gear, and no way of knowing where they were. It looked to be a sealed stone room. Not even a discernible doorway. There were some vents, but they weren't even large enough to fit a fist.

They had no choice but to sit and wait.

...

She couldn't feel much. But from what sensation she did experience, it seemed as though she was in a bacta tank. She hadn't woken up long ago, but even if she did, she wasn't sure if she'd have been more aware. There seemed to be some mild sedatives in the liquid she was suspended in.

As she opened her eyes, she winced at the unfamiliar sensation of this liquid against her bare eyeballs, and blinked several times before her vision cleared.

The room was largely dark, illuminated lightly by the heat lamps that kept the bacta a comfortable temperature. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she noticed a masked figure simply standing there, watching her.

Fear speared her heart when she noticed four saber hilts on his belt. Two were her own, one unfamiliar, and the last one... her master's.

She looked up at the mask, seeing it facing her directly. She could not see it, but she could feel the eyes that were locked with hers.

The figure walked up to the tank's controls and pressed a sequence of buttons.

Panic seized her and she desperately called to the Force to break the glass and free her... but in vain, as the unnatural fatigue of sedatives wiped her from consciousness.

...

Rex and Kix had awoken once more. Neither could tell whether it was night or day, as neither knew what time it was when they first awoke. Just as his stomach turned over for hunger, the sound of stone scraping against stone was heard.

Both looked to the source of the sound to see a section of the stone wall being pulled out and shifted to the side. A figure in black robes and wearing a mask walked in with a tray and two bowls.

A small loaf of bread glided behind him.

He set the tray on the ground and the loaf floated above before ripping itself in half.

A distorted voice broke the silence.

"Eat."

Rex grew resolute.

"Who are you? Where are we? Where are the Jedi?"

The masked figure seemed to stare at him, before turning and leaving.

Rex ran to the open passage, only to feel his feet leave the ground as the door began to seal.

"Please, eat."

With that, the door shut, and Rex gently floated to the ground.

Eventually, the two clones hesitantly ate, surprised that the broth was still warm even after they had waited some time.

Kix broke the silence.

"Who do you think it is?"

"I don't know... but I don't think it's a Jedi."

"Why not?"

"Because we're imprisoned. He wouldn't answer any of the questions."

"Think he's related to Dooku? Or Ventress?"

"I don't know, but we need to find the general and the comma-"

The shifting of stone cut the conversation short, as the same figure walked in.

"Please, follow me."

He simply turned and walked out, leaving the door open this time.

Rex and Kix looked at each other, their suspicions growing by the second, before resigning themselves to following this man.

They walked for some time before coming to an open room with a single bacta tank. Within the tank was a single Togruta woman. She was garbed in medical garments.

"COMMANDER TANO!"

Kix ran to the controls and began to try reading her diagnosis, when the masked figure interjected.

"Third degree burns on her right arm and torso. Two fractured ribs. Shattered tibia. And a concussion. I've done what I can with tissue cloning and grafting. I set the bone before immersing her. She'll be waking soon, and I felt it would be best for her to have some familiar faces."

He gestured to an actual door nearby.

"Behind that door is a small common room. There are four other doors. You are free to bunk in them, and when she awakes, I recommend moving her to one of them."

With that, he turned and walked away once more, leaving Rex and Kix feeling somewhat comforted... though more confused than ever.

...

She had the strangest dreams after that figure sedated her. She thought she saw Rex and Kix. They were safe and alive and she was overjoyed to see them, but soon the fatigue of healing got to her, and the dream ended.

When she awoke once more, fully conscious, she felt stiff, like having peeling skin after a sunburn. She looked around her slowly before her eyes caught the familiar face and posture of Clone Captain Rex.

Even when sleeping, he somehow managed to give this air of confidence and power.

She slowly sat up, the bed underneath her creaking lowly with her movement.

Rex's eyes shot open and he looked to her.

"Commander!"

He rushed to her side from his seat and helped her to sit up.

"Kix, get in here!"

Within moments, Kix came in as well, a few medical tools with him.

"How are you feeling, Commander?"

"I'm fine, Rex. Feel a little stiff and feeling like my skin is sliding around, but I'm fine. Where are we? Where's Anakin?"

Rex was about to speak when that distorted voice interrupted once more.

"Healing."

The masked figure.

Her senses had been dulled by the sedatives before, but now she could feel him clearly.

She could feel his darkness.


	2. Apocalypsis

She stared at the figure in fear. She still felt weak, and she had no weapons. Looking at the clones, neither of them had weapons either.

The figure spoke.

"Are you well enough to walk?"

The gentleness surprised her. The dark side swirled around this figure. How could anyone so immersed in darkness be gentle?

She spoke with suspicion.

"I can walk."

He hummed in response, before waving his hand, and a hover lift chair gently floated to her bedside.

"Even so, it may be best for you to use this. Your master is this way."

He turned and walked out, slower than he had when just dealing with the clones. They helped her into the chair and she glided alongside them, following their dark host.

He opened the door to a larger room, showing Anakin Skywalker.

Floating in the air, looking like he was asleep.

Kix looked him over, using the tools he had found to run a basic check-up.

"I don't get it. You said he was healing, and yet he seems to be the least damaged of us."

"It is not his body that required mending."

Ahsoka looked concerned, and reached out to Anakin.

She gasped at what she saw.

Dark and light were swirling all around him, though there seemed to be much more darkness.

Turning her head with a glare, her eyes bore into his, hidden as they were.

"What are you doing a him?"

"I've done nothing to The Chosen One. His mind is in conflict with his heart. His very spirit is tearing itself apart."

"Why?"

"His heart is not that of a Jedi, though he has molded his mind to be."

"Who are you? Tell me!"

He looked at her from behind his mask. His hands came up and activated the mask's release, with the hiss of pressurized air.

A young man, somewhere between herself and Anakin in age, was this creature beneath the mask.

"I am Darth Invictus, current Lord of the Gravidean Sith."

Ahsoka and the clones were confused at this statement.

"Gravidean?"

"Yes. I and my masters can trace our lineage back to Darth Gravid, The Enlightened."

"Who is Darth Gravid?"

"A question for another time. We must focus on waking your friend here."

"How do we do that?"

Invictus strode over to a simple box on a desk, and removed two small crystals from it.

"You know how a kyber crystal gets its color? We'll be siphoning some of the untamed power into these crystals. I will gather his darkness. You must gather his light."

She hesitantly took on of the crystals.

"How can we trust you?"

He looked at her, a calm, calculating light in his eyes. Reaching down, he unclipped the two slender sabers that she had built, and set them before her. He then unclipped his own saber hilt and set it down.

"A lightsaber is a Jedi's life, is it not? I will trust you with yours and mine… trust me with his."

She used the Force to gather the three, and nodded solemnly.

"Excuse me, gentlemen. I think it would be best to contact someone else close to your Jedi. He will likely need much support when he awakens. Please, keep the party small and private. A comm station is down the hall, past your original cells, the last door on the left."

He tapped a few buttons on his gauntlet.

"It's unlocked."

Rex and Kix shared a look, doubt, suspicion, and concern conveyed silently. They turned and followed the directions.

Ahsoka watched them go, a hard look of contemplation on her face. Why would this sith give them the freedom to contact whoever they wanted?

As she looked to her master's unconscious form, simply floating there, her concern outweighed her suspicion.

"Let's get this over with."

Invictus hummed once more.

"I'm afraid we can't. Not yet."

"I thought you said we had to focus on healing him!"

"And we will. But at the moment, your emotions are in turmoil, you're physically exhausted, and your mentality is, for the moment, too scattered to channel his power."

Ahsoka could feel her anger growing. Evidently, so could Invictus, as his words were much gentler.

"Once we have your energy up and you've calmed down, whoever the clones contact will likely be here. Then, we can wake your master, and he will have you, the clones, and whoever else to support him."

"Why do you keep saying that?"

"Pardon?"

"Why do you keep saying that he'll need support? I thought this process was going to heal him?"

Invictus sighed and dropped to a seated position with his legs crossed.

"This process will place him in a position to be healed. Right now he simply has too much power fluctuating between dark and light. We… we will be diving into his soul."

"What?"

"We will have to witness everything that makes him... him. To understand why he is so divided, and to help him reconcile himself and restore balance in his own being."

"Balance? To balance the Force, Anakin is said to destroy the Sith!"

"In the Jedi interpretation of the prophecy."

"I suppose you think that balance will be achieved by plunging the galaxy into darkness!"

Invictus sighed, gripping the bridge of his nose.

"Ah yes, the dogmatic positions of the Jedi. How could I have forgotten."

Ahsoka stood from her seat and stumbled forward, only for Invictus to catch her before she fell. Again, with a gentleness that subverted her expectations, he set her back down, and spoke softly.

"I'm sorry. While I am no fan of how the Jedi operate, I did not intend to come across as hostile. Once your master is healed, I would like to accompany you all to Coruscant."

Her eyes widened. Why would this man, this singular Sith want to go to Coruscant? To the very heart of both the Republic and the Jedi Order?

These questions were interrupted.

"Come on, I think I have some fresh game around here somewhere. I'm sure you're hungry, and Force knows how disgusting ration bars are."

He moved behind her and began pushing the lift chair at a casual pace. She wanted to protest, but, still wary of him, stayed silent.

Invictus chuckled to himself, drawing her attention.

"I… uh… I actually feel a bit silly. I never asked you your name."

He sounded almost… sheepish?

"Ahsoka. Ahsoka Tano."

She could almost hear the smirk in his voice.

"Well, Ahsoka Ahsoka Tano, I would like to apologize for starting things off on the wrong foot."

Her confusion was growing by the second. She had encountered dark side users before, namely Asajj Ventress, and they had swapped banter, but this… it was almost like he was trying to tease an old friend.

The two encountered Rex and Kix inn the hallway.

"Commander Tano, we've managed to contact General Kenobi. He's on his way."

"Thanks, Rex."

"This is indeed some splendid news. What was his ETA?"

Rex silently stood at attention, his eyes only focused on his acting commander.

Ahsoka smiled at this victory, however small, against the Sith.

"How long until he gets here, Rex? And where exactly is here?"

"It should only be a few hours. How we got to Naboo, I'm not sure."

Ahsoka was stunned. Here she was, thinking that the Sith had taken them either to some hidden base on the planet they were fighting on, or some backwater planet in the furthest reaches of the outer rim. But no. Instead they were deep in the heart of Republic territory.

The quartet walked into a small kitchen, where Invictus let Ahsoka take control of her chair. He dug around a cold storage room, when he called out.

"Do you prefer cooked or raw?"

Ahsoka hesitantly spoke.

"Cooked?"

"Alright."

He came out of cold storage with a vacuum sealed package of cut meats.

"One venison steak, coming up. How about you fellas? You want anything?"

"I'll just take the same."

"As will I."

"Should I make some for Master Kenobi?"

Ahsoka and the clones looked to each other.

"It might help ease tensions when he gets here."

"Alright! Take a seat, talk amongst yourselves, whatever."

At that Invictus brought out a headset that completely covered his ears. The faint sound of Corellian swing was muffled.

Ahsoka looked to Rex.

"I think something's wrong with him."

"What tipped you off? He kept us in cells, only to escort us to you, and allowing us to contact anyone we wanted. He's a Sith, but he hasn't acted hostile in any way."

"He's done… surprisingly good work keeping us healthy and helping you heal."

"He's acted… gently."

The trio continued to speak, theorizing about the nature of their host, and the condition of their comatose friend.

After a while, Invictus turned and slid three plates before them. Pan seared meats, a starch paste, and steamed vegetable stalks.

He removed his headset and smiled at them. In that moment, Ahsoka was able to see his eyes clearly in the light.

They did indeed share the orangish glow of the Sith, and yet, they carried a warmth, like that of fire.

They ate in silence. The food was good, if a little amateurish in presentation. After a time of cleaning, Invictus sat and meditated. After another hour, he stood and began cooking again.

"I believe that Master Kenobi has entered the system. His ship should be here shortly after I'm done here. If you'd like, you can greet him at the hangar."


	3. Iter

Obi-Wan silently watched his former Padawan, just floating there. His eyes welled with tears, but he blinked them away.

"So… you are a Sith Lord?"

"Of a sort."

Ahsoka walked forward, aided by Rex.

"You said you were a 'Gravidean' Sith… What does that mean?"

Invictus sighed.

"What do you know of the Sith? Not the dark side, just the Sith."

"We know of the rule of two. However, it seems that that rule was broken, between Dooku, Maul, whoever their master is, and yourself."

Invictus hummed, unimpressed.

"1000 years ago, Darth Bane destroyed the brotherhood of darkness, and instated the Banite rule of two. However, Bane, and many of the Sith after him, were honorable in their duels of succession. Then, around 500 years ago, Darth Gravid began to have visions. These visions convinced him that in order for the Sith to survive, we must reconcile certain aspects of Jedi teachings with our own."

All were shocked.

"That's impossible! Greed and Malice do not exactly merge well with Benevolence and Empathy."

"No, they didn't. Darth Gravid did not have the insight to know that we had to abandon certain aspects of the Sith. It actually drove him mad. His first apprentice, Darth Gean, considered his new philosophy to be heretical, but did not immediately challenge him. This gave him the time to catalog and copy all of the previous Sith holocrons, scrolls, books, and artifacts, into one holocron and map. In that time he trained a second apprentice, one who he urged to pursue this new philosophy."

"And so the lineage of the Sith split. Gean killed Gravid and trained her own line, while the second fled and began their line. Right?"

"Not just that. Gravid destroyed all the original holocrons he had collected, setting the Mainline Sith Order back thousands of years, possibly even beyond Darth Revan."

"That doesn't explain why you're helping us."

"For 500 years, the Gravidean Order has researched and meditated on the purpose of the Dark Side. My master in particular made a tremendous discovery."

"Which is?"

"The precursor to both the Sith and the Jedi. Before the Great Schism. The Je'Daii. Practitioners of Ashla and Bogan. Light and Dark."

"You're saying that there was an order that had achieved balance? Before the Jedi as we know them?"

Invictus nodded.

"The planet they resided on is long gone, but some records survived. I… am incapable of achieving this level of balance. At least, not alone."

"So… why are we here?"

"Anakin Skywalker."

They turned their attention back to him.

Invictus sighed.

"I tried to take his darkness. Alone. I couldn't do it. There's too much light that pushes against me."

"So that's why you need me."

The two men looked back at Ahsoka.

"Yes. The bond between you two… it's strong. Even a bit stronger than between him and yourself, Master Kenobi."

"So what shall I and the clones do while you two root around in Anakin's head?"

"Simply be ready to be there for him."

Kenobi nodded, as Invictus retrieved the crystals.

"Place this between your palm and the palm of his dominant hand."

He himself took Anakin's weak hand, as she did as asked.

"Now, take my hand, and begin meditating."

She hesitated, but, seeing her master's restless sleep, her eyes hardened and she took his hand.

Then there was nothing.

A massive expanse of white. She stood upon what almost felt like water, but when she looked down, her reflection was not her own.

It was the black silhouette of a human, with white eyes.

She and the reflection copied each others motions, jumping in slight shock.

That's when she began to hear the cries.

He moved towards the source of the sound, finding before him, the image of what could only be a four year old Anakin Skywalker.

She listened to him cry, and she couldn't help but shed a tear of her own.

He felt the sorrow, guilt, and rage rolling off of the boy in waves.

"Why, mom? Why'd he hurt you?"

The battered image of the woman before her sickened her.

He watched as her cheek was swelling and becoming purple in hue, as blood rolled from the fresh tear above her eye.

"Ani… I have no good answer for you. All I can do is hope you never have to feel it yourself. I promise you, I'll do whatever I can to keep you safe."

She could feel the love and admiration sweep over the expanse.

Both of them knew this was the boys first experience with the cruelty of the galaxy.

He continued walking through the black expanse, the white Togruta shadow beneath his feet. Until he heard the roar of engines.

She could see the boy working tirelessly. His understanding of the machine seemed like he had years of experience.

He could almost feel the rock striking the boy's spine.

She could hear the mocking voices of older children.

The doubt.

The determination.

The rage.

The understanding.

The fear.

The hope.

They continued through this, until they came across a horrific sight.

Anakin Skywalker. Only 3 years younger than he was today. Cradling his mother in his arms.

And that's where the break was.

Images of his mother and his Padawan - his daughter - began to merge and shift and supplant one another, all with the overwhelming darkness of his emotions.

Fear.

Anger.

Hatred.

Self-loathing.

Weakness.

Ahsoka fell to her knees, supporting herself with her hands on the floor. She opened her eyes, and through the shimmering flood of tears, she could see the man in the mirror. His black silhouette against the white light. And he reached through and took her hand.

Standing, the two silhouettes faced the waves of darkness, and trudged forward, dragging the imbalance behind them.

Soon they found other scenes. The wedding on Naboo. The knighting. The battle of Christophsis.

The light of these scenes began to burn away at the man, and so she stepped forward, embracing the light, just as he had the dark.

As the storm settled around them within the mind of the Jedi, so too did his physical body slowly glide to the ground.

Back within the mind of Anakin Skywalker, the sky and water darkened to grey, and the silhouettes found themselves facing one another, with the sobbing form of the chosen one, curled into a fetal position. The Togruta rushed to his side and embraced him, gently stroking his hair and letting him cry. The man simply walked, and kneeled beside them, setting his hand against the broken man's back.

"It's time to wake up, Anakin."


	4. Dimisit

He held Anakin's hand, as he simply stared ahead, catatonic.

Obi-Wan had never seen his former apprentice like this. And he blamed himself for it.

The logical part of his mind told him that there was nothing he could have done. There was no way to save him from what happened. Nothing to prevent this from happening.

But there was that incessant part of him. That part he tried so hard to deny. The part that he, as a Jedi, should have cast off.

His humanity.

As much as he didn't want to admit it, he had formed an attachment to this young man. He loved him, as a father loves his son, or as brothers.

And he was worried.

Anakin was normally such a lively presence. He relished in the banter they would share, the ribbing and the teasing. They helped each other cope with the war.

A war that had claimed yet another victim, in one way or another.

A war being fought because some were dissatisfied with the status quo.

A war with good people on both sides.

A war with corruption on both sides.

A war that stretched far beyond the first battle of Geonosis.

A war that would likely stretch a millenia after all of them had rotted to dust.

A war that claimed so many of those close to him.

His father.

His love.

And now it was taking his son.

Meditation was not coming to him. He felt no peace in the Force.

His brooding was interrupted by the entrance of Invictus.

"I am sorry that I cannot do any more for him."

"Why?"

Kenobi looked to him, a simmering anger just behind his eyes.

"Why do you really want to help him? Do you seek to turn him? Ahsoka? Me?"

Invictus looked sadly at the older Jedi.

"It took me some time to find out exactly who you were. My Master would be disappointed to find what happened to Dooku, and I myself feel some sorrow for Master Qui-Gon. In another life, I think we might have been friends. He was wiser than the Jedi Council gave him credit for."

Obi-Wan looked shocked.

"You speak as though you were a contemporary of his."

"I was. He was about six or seven years older than myself."

"Impossible. You're no older than 20."

"Biologically, yes. Chronologically I'm somewhere in my 60s or 70s."

"How?"

"Ironically enough, a Sith torture device. The Oubliette."

"The Oubliette?"

"A device made to keep a person in suspended animation. There aren't many in existence, but my Master placed me in one so that I might fulfill my destiny. The… terrifying thing about it is that it's made to isolate the victim. Completely cut off from the living and cosmic force. Sleeping a dreamless, restless, unwaking sleep for decades."

Invictus gained a lost look in his eyes. A look Kenobi had seen in some of the more jaded Jedi and older clones.

Invictus shook his head.

"But to answer your question, no. I actually hope to learn from you, and also teach you some of what I know. But at the moment, I can feel your regret and worry. Would you like to spar?"

He was about to refuse, but, thinking of how this might help take his mind off of his ailing son, nodded and stood. As they walked out, they passed by Ahsoka and Kix. Obi-Wan shared a sad smile with Ahsoka and lightly embraced her.

Invictus saw her eyes. She had been crying. Red and puffy, irritated.

He lead the Jedi master to a decent sized gymnasium, where they saw Rex striking against a dome of floating holographic disks, each one he hit turning from blue to red.

The two watched the soldier striking with strong precise punches and kicks.

Once he finished, Invictus clapped.

"Well done, Captain! I see you're getting accustomed to the training facility. Would you like to observe a duel?"

Rex looked to Kenobi, drawing deep slow breaths to slow his racing heart.

"I could watch. If General Kenobi permits."

Obi-Wan smiled halfheartedly.

"Of course, Captain Rex."

The two duelists walked to the center of a large circle.

Obi-Wan cast off his robes and ignited his bright blue saber, taking up his Soresu stance.

Invictus removed his robes, revealing that his left gauntlet looked heavier than his right. Pressing a button on his gauntlet, eight thin arms extended just past his hand and his elbow, and a personal energy hoplon exploded to life. Drawing his saber hilt with his right hand, Obi-Wan noted that it was longer than the standard hilt, though not so long as a saber staff. It also had a slightly oblong shape for the emitter.

The blade ignited with a snap-hiss.

A long, almost 2 meter broadsaber blade erupted from the emitter, casting a warm red glow. The blade was the color of autumn leaves.

Almost mimicking Obi-Wan's Soresu, Invictus held his shield forward and slid his saber along its edge, the hilt pulled back by his head. His weight was more on his front foot, and he was lower to the ground.

"You practice Form III?"

"I am called 'Invictus' for a reason, Master Kenobi. Though I would not call this 'Soresu.' It is my own variation on Form III. 'Sarissa'."

"You seem awfully confident. Any reason why?"

"My form was made to endure. Sabers, blasters, any number of threats, 'Sarissa' can push forward."

"You are a bold one."


	5. Damna

Invictus began to slowly approach, his shield held to cover his entire body as he stepped forward.

The two combatants began to circle one another, each step closing the distance between them.

Invictus thrust his blade forward, attempting to spear the master of soresu.

Kenobi batted it away, only to block his other side as Invictus bounced the blade and swung it around his head.

Invictus gave an overhead swing, and when Kenobi raised his blade to block, Invictus disengaged the blade and teirled the hilt into an underhand swing before igniting it again.

Kenobi barely had time to readjust his defense.

"You're off balance, Master Jedi."

Invictus jumped back.

"I can feel the darkness swelling within you. Release it. Work out your aggression."

"I will not give in."

"Your pain is great. Please, share it with me. Perhaps I should have insight you would not."

Kenobi leapt forward, striking against the shield.

How long had it been since he used Ataru?

Thirteen years.

The last time he had purely used Ataru in combat.

On this very planet.

"Tell me what pains you."

His frown deepened.

The flash of red and blue clashing against one another.

The radiant heat.

The crackling sound.

Even the air here… it held that same bitter taste.

That same rancid smell.

Being here again. Fighting like this again.

With a shout, he clashed against the shield.

Again.

And again.

And again.

His tears burned down his face, as he fell to his knees.

How long had it been?

How long since he had properly mourned?

He did not even notice Invictus sitting next to him.

They sat there in silence. It was unclear for how long. Rex had left.

"I know what it's like."

"What?"

"My master… Darth Didactus. He… I wasn't his first apprentice. That honor belonged to Darth Aegis. She was beautiful, or so I was told. Didactus was about my age when he took her as an apprentice. She was only a little younger than him. 16 or 17, I think. But she had such an untamed darkness. He had such a desire to help her. He helped her come to terms with her darkness. To acknowledge that we will never truly let go."

"I am a Jedi."

"You are human."

"I shouldn't… I shouldn't allow myself to act like this… I'm sorry."

"Do not apologize. It is impossible to deny yourself."

"I will not fall."

"Would you drown yourself then?"

Kenobi looked at him.

His voice was different. Darker.

"You do not understand balance. You throw yourself headlong into the light, eager and desperate, regardless of the fact that the darkest shades rest on your own back."

His eyes held a spark of madness.

"Invictu-"

"DO NOT SPEAK THAT NAME!"

Invictus snarled, bestial and vicious.

His posture was a far cry from the calm and composed man Obi-Wan had met.

His shoulders were stooped low, his head bowed, shadowing his face.

He gripped his saber with both hands, and with a war cry, brought it down heavily against the Jedi's bright blue.

"IF YOU WILL NOT EMBRACE YOUR DARKNESS, THEN YOU WILL DIE IN IT!"

He continued to beat down against the older master.

He hammered against the defense before catching the saber in an upward swing, disarming Kenobi in his exhaustion.

As he swung down to join padawan with master on the same planet over a decade apart, his blow was caught in an x-guard of two green blades.

"Ah, the apprentice! Come to save this old fool?"

She locked eyes with him.

She could see he was not himself.

She could feel it.

With an animalistic growl, he swung his saber upward, under her guard, as she flipped away from him, catching his chin with her foot as she went.

As she readied herself for another blade lock, she heard him mumbling to himself.

"We should stop this now. Before someone gets hurt. No! No! We must kill them, we must make them suffer, make them feel the void, when even that is mercy! But they do not know of our pain. They will never know our pain!"

He looked to her, as a predator to his prey.

"The Jedi would never understand. 24,000 years of staring into the light, letting it blind them and allowing themselves to be tainted by arrogance and greed!"

He began to charge once more only to stop and absorb blaster bolts with his bare hands.

Rex stood opposite to him, his DC blasters steaming lightly.

Invictus began to chuckle. Then laugh. Then cackle.

He brought his hands to the sides of his head, sparks dancing between his fingers as his laughter devolved into choking sobs.

He screamed as lightning rippled into his body, before collapsing into a smoking heap, sobbing still.

"I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…"

He hadn't resisted when they placed binders on him.

He didn't fight when he was bound to a chair.

There was nothing in his eyes. Almost as though he was entirely emotionless.

As Kix looked over him for any signs of trauma, he came to one horrifying conclusion.

Invictus was broken.


	6. Senatus

"What do you mean'he's broken,?"

"Just that, sir. After reviewing what you all told me about that spar, all I can say for certain is that Invictus has suffered severe psychological damage. Most likely from that oubliette he told you about, General Kenobi."

"How? He described it like sleeping."

"I'm not certain of its effects, but I do know that even periods as brief as twenty-four hours within a sensory deprivation tank can have a profound, if short term, psychological impact. You said that he's likely been sealed for close to forty years? That's an awful long time of hearing nothing but your heartbeat and your thoughts."

Ahsoka interjected.

"But Master Yoda is said to be able to meditate for decades. And the late Master Yaddle spent years meditating in a prison."

"Masters Yoda and Yaddle are also centuries old… and they were still connected with the living and cosmic force."

Looking to the closed door, Obi-Wan could feel the regret and fear rolling off of their host.

"He… he was trapped in complete silence. It was not meditation. It was hell."

He looked to Ahsoka.

"Anakin, myself, you, the entire Jedi order have never experienced something like that. To be separated from the force when even as infants, we were capable of feeling it… it'd be like a piece of ourselves being carved away from us. Something that couldn't be replaced or easily healed."

The four stood in silence. Their friend in a catatonic state, and their host…

"General, you're the commanding officer here. What are your orders?"

Obi-Wan contemplated the question. What should they do indeed.

"We… we need to get them both to the temple. Perhaps the healers will be able to do more for them."

They heard a soft thud of metal inside Invictus's room.

Opening the door, they saw him seated on the floor, cross legged and meditating, as the binders sat where they had fallen.

He opened his eyes, looking tired.

"I'm sorry you had to meet him."

"Who?"

"I suppose you could call him the manifestation of my pain. I refer to him as Apocryphus. He appeared to me in the Oubliette. At first, it was good to have him. He was someone to talk to. But… with each passing year he became more powerful and more unhinged. Unstable. I had hoped that coming out of that machine would… I don't know, weaken his influence, but instead…"

He bowed his head.

"I'm sorry."

Kix looked at him.

"A coping mechanism taken to the extreme. You created him to deal with the trauma of the isolation, but now he's become a driving force for your continued isolation. I don't think I've ever heard of something like that."

"It's because of my connection with the force."

"What?"

Ahsoka's eyes widened.

"Because the Force is its own living entity. It grows from feeding life and life feeding it. In a vacuum… you were the only source of the Force… and you created Apocryphus. He isn't just an out of control coping mechanism… he's become an entirely different being!"

Invictus could only nod.

"As much as I hate him though… he speaks the truth, from a certain point of view."

"He told me that the greatest darkness lives on our own backs… what did he mean?"

"Apocryphus was born from my own represssed darkness. Feelings of hatred, emptiness, loneliness… they created him. So he knows better than anyone that the deepest, most destructive darkness lives within the depths of our minds. The parts of us we wish didn't exist."

He locked eyes with Kenobi.

"That's why he warned you. Out of everyone here, myself included, no one harbors more darkness than you."

All were shocked.

"I don't know what exactly you've gone through… but it has nearly broken you as I have been."

He stood from his kneeled position.

"I'm afraid I cannot accompany you to Coruscant."

Ahsoka was shocked.

"Why? I thought you said you wanted to?"

"I want to… but this outburst of mine has proven that I myself need time for healing… as it stands I would be a great danger to the healers of the Jedi temple. Ahsoka…"

She looked at his flamelike eyes.

"You and I know more of Anakin's life than anyone."

He looked at Obi-Wan.

"I cannot stay here, nor can I follow you. I suggest that you and Anakin inform Master Kenobi. And Master Kenobi?"

"Yes?"

"Please help him. Even just listening to his pains will help."

"Of course."

"I trust you have a shuttle of suitable size?"

"I brought an older shuttle, but it will suffice."

"Good."

Invictus tapped away at his wrist mounted tacpad.

"The hangars are unlocked and your ship is being prepped by some service droids."

He bowed low to all the others assembled.

"I cannot say for certain when, but I can sense that… we will see each other again some day."

With that, he stood upright and left the room for another and locked the door behind him.


	7. Reditus

The year that had passed had been a mixture of sorrows and successes for the heroes of the galaxy.

It had taken some time for Anakin to come out of his state, but once he had, it was as though he had become the living embodiment of the Force. He fought with a precision and grace none had seen in him before. This was never more apparent than in the Battle of Coruscant, where, with the combined effort of himself and Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin disarmed and captured Count Dooku of Serenno.

Obi-Wan himself began to search the Force for deeper meaning than what he knew of the Jedi Order. The words of Darth Invictus resonated within his mind, and as much as he did not like it, he had to acknowledge the darkness in his own heart. This level of introspection lead Kenobi far from Republican space, where he disappeared for several days, before returning, with greater strength and more balanced in himself than ever.

Ahsoka Tano was framed for a bombing of the Jedi Temple, and expelled from the order. Even when her master had proven her innocence, she declined the invitation back into the order. She was last seen at the Battle of Mandalore, concurrent with the Battle of Coruscant. Troopers of the 501st with her reported that she "felt something" before leaving with the escort of Captain Rex.

But perhaps the most radical change came in the months immediately following the capture of Dooku.

Anakin Skywalker, The Hero With No Fear, willingly and peacefully left the Jedi Order. His reasoning? The pregnancy of his wife, Senator Padmé Amidala-Skywalker.

When he revealed this secret to the Jedi Council, he was met with shock and outrage from most. But the one he was focused on, the one man whose opinion mattered more than all others, stood, and walked calmly to him.

In a rare display of emotion, Master Obi-Wan Kenobi pulled Anakin into an embrace, tears running down his weathered face.

"I am proud of you, Anakin. Go home, give Padmé my love and congratulations. I'll be by later to say as much in person. Thank you, for trusting us with this now."

His statements had once again thrown the council chambers into a flurry.

Plo Koon seemed mildly amused, and more curious than upset.

Kit Fisto smiled and laughed, much to the chagrin of some of his peers.

Ki Adi-Mundi was furiously trying to convince the others to strip Skywalker of all rank and repute, even going so far as to suggest erasing him from the records.

Shaak Ti had an air of disappointment but acceptance.

Saesee Tiin looked resolute, his brow furrowed and his arms crossed.

Mace Windu silently fumed, his consternation easily visible through his eyes.

All of the chatter and bickering that had intensified was ceased by the sound of wood tapping against the tiles.

Master Yoda stood from his seat, his diminutive stature still commanding the attention of all present.

"Skywalker. A member of this council, you became only recently. Lied to this council, you have. Continue in secrecy, you could have. Tell us now, why have you?"

"Padmé and I have been tired of living in secrecy, Master. And now she's expecting. We cannot in good conscience force our child to live in secrecy as well."

Master Tiin spoke for the first time.

"If I recall correctly, when Obi-Wan had just taken you as his padawan, you expressed how you had always desired to be a Jedi. Are you really so willing to abandon the life you have lived? Abandon your comrades?"

"If it means I may be free to build my family, yes. But I will not abandon this war. I will not abandon my men. And I will not abandon my friends."

Tiin's mouth merely quirked upwards at the edges as he sat down.

"I move to permit Anakin Skywalker to honorably remove himself from the Jedi Order.,. With an invitation open to himself and his child, should they be born with an affinity for the Force."

Kit Fisto smirked at Anakin.

"Seconded."

Mundi looked aghast at the two masters.

"And what of the code. Do we simply ignore thousands of years of tradition? Opposed."

"Though I do not believe he should be shamed, I also oppose Master Tiin's motion."

"Skywalker has given much to the Jedi. He has served dutifully in the war, and he worked hard to clear the name of 'Soka. However, his lies and violations of the code are apparent. I must abstain in this decision."

"Obi-Wan's vote will not be taken, as it is clear that he is incapable of remaining impartial. I will stand by my decision, just as I did when Qui-gon brought the boy before us. Opposed."

"Skywalker… true it is, that much you have done. True it is that oppose your training, I did. But true it is also, that broken the code, you have. By vote, this council has decided. But not without mercy am I. Leave the Jedi Order, you shall. No invitation shall you receive. No invitation shall your child receive. This also I grant you… The title of Master, you will carry. And an ally, shall you find in the Jedi."

Anakin bowed, first to Yoda, then to each of the council members, before removing the kyber crystal from his saber and presenting it to Yoda.

"Troubled, are you, Master Kenobi?"

"No, Master, only a bit unsure of the years to come."

With that, Obi-Wan Kenobi used the Force to raise and disassemble his lightsaber before all of the council. Taking hold of his kyber crystal, he reassembled the scattered pieces, and presented the powerless saber to Master Yoda.

"As I promised Qui-Gon that I would train him, I promised myself that I would do all in my power to support him. Farewell, masters. May the Force be with you."

Before the shock had worn off, Obi-Wan guided Anakin's stupified body out of the council chambers.

The stunned silence was broken, first from the cackling of Master Yoda, then from the boisterous laughter of Masters Tiin and Fisto.

In the months that followed, word had spread like wildfire throughout the Jedi. Two of the youngest council members had withdrawn from the order… for love.

This revelation shook the order to its core, as dozens if not hundreds of Jedi began to leave the order. Among them were masters Koon, Fisto, and Tiin. But despite the Jedi Order taking such a massive blow to their official ranks, The Grand Army of The Republic saw morale improving and victory cascading after victory.

The 501st and 212th Legions slowly but surely conducted massive chains of surgeries, removing thousands of artificially produced biochips, and saw zero increases in the impulsivity of their troopers. This prompted hundreds of Generals, Jedi and former Jedi alike, to conduct similar operations. The names of Tupp and Fives became known throughout the Republic as tragic heroes, afflicted by the unpredictability of these chips.

And here they were, on the same planet where their lives had changed so radically, only a few years before.

The second battle of Christophsis. And at the heads of the legions of clones, side by side, stood Generals Skywalker and Kenobi, more composed and powerful than ever.

Despite this, the battle was forming into a stalemate.

"General! Our Eastern flank is being hammered by artillery!"

"Understood! Cody! We need a portable shield generator moved to the Eastern flank! And reinforce the West!"

"Captain Art, pull the center column back behind the defensive lines! Funnel the seps towards us!"

Static answered Anakin for a moment.

"Sir, Captain Art was taken out by a mortar shell. We're being pinched over here, escape isn't an option. We've made our peace and are requesting immediate bombardment on our position."

"That's a negative, trooper. Hold tight, we're on our way."

"Sir, we won't be able to… wait. What's that? Who is that?"

The former Jedi looked up to see a defender class light corvette, midnight black in color, flying over, its turrets blazing.

As they carved through droids on their way to their trapped soldiers, they could see that the cargo ramp of this corvette open up, and three speeder bikes fly out over the battlefield.

As they crested a broken piece of the landscape, they saw a sight that stole their breath.

Three streaks of light following the trails of the bikes.

Blood red.

A warm autumnal crimson.

And a yellowish green.

The lightsabers of these interlopers sang through the plasteel bodies of the separatists forces.

Not ones to be absent from battle, Anakin and Obi-Wan moved swiftly to help defend their troops.

The skirmish was short. As the two masters relished this moment of reprieve, the three bikers stopped not far from them, their plastoid body gloves lightly glistening in the daylight, and the full helms truly shining.

Only one truly stood out to them though. The shortest of them had more of a mask than a helm, in order to accommodate the two curving montrals.

She removed her mask, showing a brilliant smile.

"Well look at us. Back where it all began, right Skyguy?"

Anakin did not speak, only pulling her into a hug.

"Oh, isn't that just precious? Tell me something, Kenobi, is it true that you and Skywalker left the Jedi behind?"

Recognizing the voice, Obi-Wan gave a sly smirk.

"It would appear, my dear, that we now have a but more in common."

The figure removed her helm, revealing the white haired nightsister, Asajj Ventress.

"It is good to see you again, Obi-Wan."

"Indeed it is."

The only male of the three approached slowly.

"I can also sense that the two of you have grown far stronger and far more balanced than last we met."

Removing his helm, Kenobi and Skywalker saw someone they almost didn't recognize.

Darth Invictus spoke confidently, without the sorrow of the last time they met.

"I too have grown stronger and more balanced."


End file.
